Time and again, I see pet owners who don’t seem to understand one fundamental truth: animals are messy.
We understand that people are messy, especially very young, small people. And while no one’s happy when their precious bundle pushes over the flatscreen or somehow manages to use their full diaper as an art medium—they’re your precious bundle, and you forgive. You would certainly never consider giving your child up to an adoption agency because it took a few weeks (months, years) to teach them not to do these things. Sadly, some people resort to the shelter because the cat shred the furniture or the dog saturated the rug in pee.
If this is you, please don’t get defensive. I’m not judging. Honestly, I’m not. If you’ve ever had any of these thoughts, well… so has everyone else from time to time. Like the time my precious new kitten somehow managed to knock over and destroy an heirloom cut crystal vase. I was sure it was too heavy for her to move, so I didn’t put it in a secure place. At that moment, it became hard to love her enough. She hadn’t been with me that long, and our bond was still forming. But I got over it, because in the end, a living, breathing, sentient being is more valuable than an inanimate object, no matter the beauty or the cost, and it was my fault for leaving the vase on the counter. So I’m not shaming you; I only urge you to adjust your expectations. If it’s in your home, there’s a good chance your pet will scratch it, eat it, knock it over, break it, or pee on it.
People often think that dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies come with an innate ability to do the “right thing,” or at least not to do the “wrong thing.” They get that they’ll have to teach their kid how exactly to behave. But why, oh why, is Fido still chewing on the armchair? Why is Snowball still lacerating the love seat? They’ve shown their pet what they want him to do, but he doesn’t. So what gives? Is he stubborn? Stupid? Or, worst of all, DOMINANT? (Don’t get me started on that last one. Oy. That’s another four-part post.) They feel despair that they will either have to get rid of the animal or never own a beautiful thing ever again.
We understand that people are messy, especially very young, small people. And while no one’s happy when their precious bundle pushes over the flatscreen or somehow manages to use their full diaper as an art medium—they’re your precious bundle, and you forgive. You would certainly never consider giving your child up to an adoption agency because it took a few weeks (months, years) to teach them not to do these things. Sadly, some people resort to the shelter because the cat shred the furniture or the dog saturated the rug in pee.
If this is you, please don’t get defensive. I’m not judging. Honestly, I’m not. If you’ve ever had any of these thoughts, well… so has everyone else from time to time. Like the time my precious new kitten somehow managed to knock over and destroy an heirloom cut crystal vase. I was sure it was too heavy for her to move, so I didn’t put it in a secure place. At that moment, it became hard to love her enough. She hadn’t been with me that long, and our bond was still forming. But I got over it, because in the end, a living, breathing, sentient being is more valuable than an inanimate object, no matter the beauty or the cost, and it was my fault for leaving the vase on the counter. So I’m not shaming you; I only urge you to adjust your expectations. If it’s in your home, there’s a good chance your pet will scratch it, eat it, knock it over, break it, or pee on it.
People often think that dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies come with an innate ability to do the “right thing,” or at least not to do the “wrong thing.” They get that they’ll have to teach their kid how exactly to behave. But why, oh why, is Fido still chewing on the armchair? Why is Snowball still lacerating the love seat? They’ve shown their pet what they want him to do, but he doesn’t. So what gives? Is he stubborn? Stupid? Or, worst of all, DOMINANT? (Don’t get me started on that last one. Oy. That’s another four-part post.) They feel despair that they will either have to get rid of the animal or never own a beautiful thing ever again.
If it’s in your home, there’s a good chance your pet will scratch it, eat it, knock it over, break it, or pee on it.
Training your cat or dog to scratch and chew the right things, pee and poop in the right places, and generally behave in a civilized manner is a process. It’s sometimes fast, sometimes painfully slow, but it’s always a process. Kittens do tend to come programmed to want to go to the bathroom on a sandy substrate, which can make using the litterbox pretty much a slam-dunk. But that’s it. They need to be taught everything else. And they need us to teach them. And to be patient if it takes them more than one trial to learn.
How to teach them is a subject for another post (or many posts). What I want to say now is: Please do not get a pet and expect them never to make a mess. Please know that even the best of pets sometimes attacks the table leg, scratches the sofa, or poops in the bathtub. And even if they’re perfect now, they will, at some point, God willing, get old. Old pets suffer from many of the same difficulties as old people: stiff joints, dwindling eyesight, impaired hearing, loss of bladder and bowel control, and even forms of dementia (for more information on the latter, go to http://dogdementia.com/. Eileen Anderson literally wrote the book on Canine Cognitive Dysfunction). Which can be messy. Very messy.
Another thing: please don’t get a pet to match your furniture. I get it; I do—you want a cat, so you might as well get a white one to go with your white living room set. But be sure that the wrong hair color isn’t a deal breaker. You may get a navy blue couch someday, but Fluffy will still be white. If the thought of a stray or mismatched cat or dog hair fills you with disgust, get a non-shedding breed. Or a hamster. Hamsters almost never shed.
And if you really, truly, can’t stand the idea of tears in the curtains or poop on the rug or hair on the sofa, so much so that you’d disown a pet who did those things, then, maybe, the answer is not to get a pet. Or, if you genuinely want to share your love and your home with another being, choose one that can conform to your needs and standards. Do your homework before bringing a pet into your life. Don’t just get a dog (or cat) because when you think pet, you think dog (or cat). There is absolutely no reason why you can’t bond with your guinea pig or your goldfish. (I’m serious. I’ve had lovely relationships with several goldfish over the years.)
If you want a pet, whether it be a dog or a cat or a rabbit or a rat, please remember that all pets make messes from time to time. If you have a possession that is fragile and precious to you (I know I do), make sure your pets cannot access it, or create a protective barrier of some kind (e.g., a sturdy slipcover on the gorgeous silk couch). If you've filled your home to bursting with such objects, get a pet, such as a gerbil or a gecko, whose messiness will be easy to confine to a particular area. Set everyone up for success by preparing the environment and having reasonable expectations. Before you know it, your bond with your pet will be so profound that, no matter what they destroy, they are your precious bundle. And you forgive.
How to teach them is a subject for another post (or many posts). What I want to say now is: Please do not get a pet and expect them never to make a mess. Please know that even the best of pets sometimes attacks the table leg, scratches the sofa, or poops in the bathtub. And even if they’re perfect now, they will, at some point, God willing, get old. Old pets suffer from many of the same difficulties as old people: stiff joints, dwindling eyesight, impaired hearing, loss of bladder and bowel control, and even forms of dementia (for more information on the latter, go to http://dogdementia.com/. Eileen Anderson literally wrote the book on Canine Cognitive Dysfunction). Which can be messy. Very messy.
Another thing: please don’t get a pet to match your furniture. I get it; I do—you want a cat, so you might as well get a white one to go with your white living room set. But be sure that the wrong hair color isn’t a deal breaker. You may get a navy blue couch someday, but Fluffy will still be white. If the thought of a stray or mismatched cat or dog hair fills you with disgust, get a non-shedding breed. Or a hamster. Hamsters almost never shed.
And if you really, truly, can’t stand the idea of tears in the curtains or poop on the rug or hair on the sofa, so much so that you’d disown a pet who did those things, then, maybe, the answer is not to get a pet. Or, if you genuinely want to share your love and your home with another being, choose one that can conform to your needs and standards. Do your homework before bringing a pet into your life. Don’t just get a dog (or cat) because when you think pet, you think dog (or cat). There is absolutely no reason why you can’t bond with your guinea pig or your goldfish. (I’m serious. I’ve had lovely relationships with several goldfish over the years.)
If you want a pet, whether it be a dog or a cat or a rabbit or a rat, please remember that all pets make messes from time to time. If you have a possession that is fragile and precious to you (I know I do), make sure your pets cannot access it, or create a protective barrier of some kind (e.g., a sturdy slipcover on the gorgeous silk couch). If you've filled your home to bursting with such objects, get a pet, such as a gerbil or a gecko, whose messiness will be easy to confine to a particular area. Set everyone up for success by preparing the environment and having reasonable expectations. Before you know it, your bond with your pet will be so profound that, no matter what they destroy, they are your precious bundle. And you forgive.
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